Senator James McClelland (NEW SOUTH WALES)
- I have very little to say on this clause. I merely record our formal opposition and indicate that this is one of the clauses on which we intended to divide and on which we want our opposition recorded on the grounds that I think have already been fairly fully canvassed, namely, that the introduction of a system of secret ballots when industrial disputes occur or are threatening will be ineffective; that it flies in the face of international experience of the fruitfulness of such provisions and flies in the face of the Donovan report in England, which fully considered this matter; that such powers have been in the Act since 1928 but the Commonwealth has chosen to avail itself of those powers on only 3 occasions; and that the only effect we can see of the introduction or the actual implemention of such provisions would be to exacerbate industrial relations, prolong strikes and make their settlement more difficult. For that reason we oppose this clause.